Upper Eel River to receive water from planned release

At least 2,000 acre-feet of water will be released from Lake Pillsbury via Scott Dam to ensure a suitable habitat for the threatened steelhead trout in the Eel River, according to a news release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

PG&E began releasing the water Friday, and it will continue until Oct. 15, after a request was made by NOAA and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the news release stated.

The water release will increase the flow below Cape Horn Dam from about nine cubic feet per second to at least 20 cubic feet per second, after which required flows will be held above 25 cubic feet per second, the NOAA said.

NOAA said drought conditions during the 2013/14 spawning season limited spawning steelhead from accessing tributaries in the upper Eel River. Therefore, a high proportion of juvenile steelhead are likely rearing in the main stem upper Eel River.

"In anticipation of a drought last winter, PG&E filled Lake Pillsbury to capacity in order to ensure continued operation of the Potter Valley Project and conservation of federally threatened salmon and steelhead," NOAA said in the news release.

"This flow release is in accordance with the provisions to protect listed salmon and steelhead incorporated into PG&E's operation of the Potter Valley Project, which consists of Scott and Cape Horn dams, and a power generation tunnel that diverts water from the Eel River to the East Branch Russian River."